Chain Reaction
by biancadiangelo0703
Summary: Sequel to Perfect Chemistry. Jason moves from LA back to NY, leaving Piper behind with a secret she kept from him. A year later, Piper moves to NY and transfers to Goode where Jason is. Jason tries to catch up with Piper, but she's acting distant to him and he doesn't know why. What's her secret? Will he win her back? And will he follow Percy's path and become a gang leader too?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys I'm back! I'm sorry if I spammed your emails with updates from "Perfect Chemistry" but I was just editing some things. Anyways here's the sequel and I'm sorry if any of you were expecting Thalico but this is going to be a Jiper story. It's been three years since "Perfect Chemistry".**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All credit goes to Rick Riordan for characters and Simone Elkeles for most of the plot.**

* * *

**Jason**

Today was the last day before winter break and I couldn't leave without pulling a prank.

Leo pulls me aside during fourth which was our last lunch period this year. He told me about his plan to pull a prank on the gym teacher, Coach Hedge. I readily agree. We are missing some important details for our plan, but we always find a way to fix it one way or another. While we are scouting for someone to help us, someone pulls me back. I spin around to face my girlfriend Piper, her eyes studying me as they change color in the light.

"Hey, Pipes. Enjoying the last day of torture?"

"What are you two planning this time?" she asks straight to the point, glancing at Leo and then back at me.

"How do you know we're planning to do anything? Maybe Jason and I were having an honest chat about something other than pranks," Leo answers her.

Piper doesn't buy it. "Leo, I've known you since I first came here to Jupiter High. The only things on your mind are pranks, corny jokes, building stuff, and food."

"Look, Leo, there's no point in keeping this from Piper. She knows us too well. Plus, she wouldn't snitch on us, won't you, Pipes?" I say, giving Piper one of my signature smiles that's bound to soften her. Piper is gorgeous and persuasive herself, but I know exactly how to make her weak in the knees.

She sighs softly and she gives me a look that makes me forget about everyone around us. I find myself getting lost in her kaleidoscope eyes which I can never decide on what color they are. A strand of chocolate-brown hair falls loose from one of her braids and I absently push it away from her face. I would've kissed her soft lips right there, but Leo cleared his throat and Piper blushed.

"Fine, we'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone else," Leo says. After Piper swears on the Styx, Leo fills her in about our plan. Piper smiles as Leo tells her the outcome.

"The only small, tiny problem in our flawless plan is that we don't have any matches," Leo says.

"Oh, I know someone who does," Piper says. "I can ask him if you want."

"I told you she'd come in handy," I tell Leo, wrapping my arm around Piper's shoulder and pulling her closer so I could kiss her blushing cheek. It's amazing how she's still a little flustered even though it's been a year and a half since we started dating. Then again, sometimes I find it hard to believe that this gorgeous, smart, funny, amazing girl is my girlfriend.

"I better ask him now before I change for gym. See you in a few minutes," Piper says to us then kisses me quickly on the lips.

This prank is going to be a blaze.

* * *

After Leo and I change, we arrive at the field which is where we have gym. Everyone else had changed into the standard T-shirts, sneakers and shorts. The weather is still nice and warm even if it's almost Christmas. Despite the warm weather, Coach is wearing jogging pants and a sweatshirt. Leo and I exchange a grin; Coach is making this a lot easier for us.

"Alright, cupcakes. Now that Valdez and Jackson are here, let's start with five laps around the field," barked Coach. A few students grumbled about today being the last day and that Coach should cut us some slack, but all of us start to run around the field.

I glance at Leo who's jogging beside me. He gives me a mischievous smile and pats his pocket. I grin back at him. Halfway around the field, Piper catches up to us.

"Hey, Pipes. Did you get what we needed?" Leo asks her.

"In my pocket," she replies.

"When are we going to do it?"

"Around the end of the period."

Throughout the class, we played this backyard game where we throw bean bags at a board five feet away and aim for the hole in it. If the beanbag lands in the hole, that's three points. If it stays on the board, it's one point. Leo and I scored ten points while Piper and Drew scored six. I guess one of the reasons they lost is that Drew was more interested in flirting with me and checking me out to play seriously. Piper kept sending her death glares and I did my best to ignore her.

Coach blows the whistle, signaling that the class is over.

"Okay, cupcakes, be sure to pick up all of your stuff and I hope you all have a rotten Christmas away from here. I'm glad that I don't get to see you brats for a good two weeks," he says and dismisses us.

As Leo and I gather our bean bags and our board, Piper tosses Leo a box of matches as she passes by. Somehow, Leo manages to pull out his lighter with one hand while balancing the box and bean bags in the other. He pulls out one match and lights it. He hands it to me. I watch Coach walking ahead of us, totally oblivious to the two pranksters behind me. Piper stops him and starts to talk, batting her eyelashes and talking in a sweet, soft voice that no one cab resist. When I'm sure that Piper has his full attention, I pass by Coach and brush the match against his pants. I quickly drop the match near his feet and I turn around to look when I hear Piper screaming.

"Coach, your pants are on fire!" she yells.

Coach looks down in surprise to see that almost his entire leg is on fire. He yells and starts running around, shouting in Greek for help. The rest of the students are laughing and Leo, Piper, and I are the ones laughing the hardest.

"What's the matter, Coach?" Leo shouts as Coach whizzes past us. "Can't handle the heat?"

"I know it's you three! I'll get you for this!" he yells as he runs into the school building.

We look at each other and start laughing again. We can't get in trouble since it's already the last day of school. Nothing can possibly ruin this day.

* * *

I kiss Piper goodbye before I got off my stop at the bus station. When I got home, Sally is waiting for me in the dining room. She's looking at me with a "The school called and told me about another stupid prank you pulled" look. I hold up my hands as a form of surrender.

"I know that the principal called about what happened. But in my defense, Leo blackmailed me into doing it. He threatened to Photo-shop these photos of me in a bikini and threatened to send it to everyone in Jupiter if I didn't do it."

"Save the excuses, Jason. I already called your principal and I assured him that there would be no need to punish you," she says.

I sigh in relief. "Thank the gods. Well, I still have to deal with Coach when I come back after break-"

"Actually, Jason, there's something I need to talk about with you," Sally says to me and judging from the nervous look in her eyes, I can tell that it isn't good news.

"Okay," I say slowly, sitting down across from her. I didn't need to ask if we needed to wait for Percy and Nico since they're both in New York.

Sally treats all of her sons the same way even if Nico and I are adopted. Despite that he was adopted before me, Nico's still much harder to handle. He reminds us that we're not his real family any chance he gets and he's more rebellious in his quiet way. That's why Sally sent him to live with Percy in New York when he got in trouble at a job. On the other hand, I welcome Sally and the Jackson's into my life since I don't remember anything about my past family if I had one. Sally and I have definitely bonded over the years, but I still feel weird about calling her mom. She doesn't complain about it though.

She signs and takes my hand. Three years ago, I would've pulled away. Instead, I squeeze her hand.

"Sally, what is it?" I ask her.

"Well, a friend of mine recommended me to a job a while ago. And I got accepted," she said, but I could tell that there was a catch.

"But?"

"But the job requires me to move to New York," she says quietly.

I pull away in surprise at her revelation. I gape and begin to protest.

"Sally, I finally got settled in L.A. I have friends, a girlfriend. I can't just leave them," I say.

I know I sound like a spoiled brat, but I'm really tired of moving around so much. Ever since I was abandoned at the age of two, I've been constantly moved from orphanage to orphanage. It took ten years before Sally adopted and we still had to move because of Percy's problems with his former gang. When I transferred to Jupiter High, I tried pushing people away, afraid that I'll have move again. It took about three months before Piper and Leo came to break down my walls. Now that I'm finally settled in, I have to move again.

"I know that you've just gotten used to living here in Los Angeles, but I really need this job, Jason," she says, a look of desperation on her face. "Percy has already talked about getting married to Annabeth. I'm also concerned about Nico. Don't you miss your brothers? Don't you want to be a part of their lives again?"

I sigh and look away from her. It's true that she needs this job because money has always been tight. She works at a candy store a couple blocks away and she still tries to squeeze in some night classes so she could be a writer. Getting this job could fulfill her dreams. Plus, I did miss Percy and Nico. I missed Percy more because he was always looking out for me like the little brother he always wanted. When we moved to Los Angeles, I used to complain about him smothering me more than Sally, but I secretly liked how he cared about me despite our ups and downs.

I look at Sally whose watching me and waiting for my opinion. I sigh and force myself to smile.

"Okay, we can go back to New York," I tell her and she sighs in relief and hugs me. I felt guilty for being so selfish and wanting to stay here so I hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Jason," she says, smiling at me and ruffles my hair. "Don't worry. I'll give you time to say goodbye to your friends and Piper."

"Don't worry. I just need tonight," I say, thinking about Drew's Christmas party. Everyone I know will be there. "I want you to be happy, Sally. I owe it to you."

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**Hope you liked it and I'm sorry for the long wait. Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**hey guys I'm back with another update! This will be a pretty long chapter so I hope you enjoy it. Summer vacation is almost over and I have to go back to school by September (gag) but I'll still try to update as fast as I can. Sorry if the characters are a little OOC. Oh also check Chapter 1 because I'll edit it to change the time from summer to Christmas**

**Disclaimer: i don't own anything. Characters go to Rick Riordan and plot goes to Simone Elkeles. Even the outfits aren't mine!**

* * *

**Piper**

I smile at Jason after he kisses me. I watch him as he leaves, thinking how lucky I am to have him as my boyfriend. Yes, I do have to deal with the glares, the teasing, and the death threats from jealous girls (mostly from Drew) and I still hate the attention, but it's all worth it to have Jason.

When I first met him in August, he was a transfer student and I was working in the office as punishment for a prank Leo and I pulled and I was his guide. He didn't ask any questions; he didn't talk at all. I only showed him around the school and I didn't want to bother him so I didn't try to strike a conversation with him.

For two weeks, he made no attempt to talk to people and he had no friends. Other than the girls checking him out, no one else paid much attention to him. Eventually, I got the nerve to go up to Jason at lunch and started talking to him. He was hesitant at first, but we gradually warmed up to each other. I found out that he was a really nice and caring guy with a sense of humor. I invited Leo to sit with us and we all became fast friends. About a month later, Jason and I started going out. That was the October of sophomore year which is about year and two months from today.

As I watch Jason leave, I almost called him to ask him to stay for a minute. I had something to tell Jason, something important. Despite my happy mood, my mind keeps nagging at me as a reminder that something's wrong. I just keep pushing that annoying thought out if my head.

I get off my stop at the bus station and walked down the block towards my house in Beverly Hills. Well, I say house, but it's really a mansion. My dad is the famous actor Tristan Mclean and my mom is the famous model/fashion designer Aphrodite Amare. I live with my dad because my parents are divorced. My mom married so many guys so now I have a lot of half-siblings and step-siblings. She's getting married again in a few weeks so that means even more siblings for me! Wonderful.

I enter the house and take in my surroundings. The house smells like pine trees which is from our Christmas tree in the living room. We hastily decorated it with a few glass ornaments and we placed stockings over the fireplace. The house is decorated with a few ribbons and wreaths, but we were all so busy that we didn't have much time to decorate the house.

My biological sister Lacey walks down the spiral staircase. I look more like Dad with the same tan skin and straight chocolate-brown hair while she looks more like Mom with naturally curly blonde hair in pigtails, crystal blue eyes, and braces to match. She's only about thirteen, but you can tell that she will grow up to look very beautiful once the dentist removes her braces and her hair is newly styled.

"Hi, Piper. How was school?" she asks cheerfully. Her positive attitude is so infectious that I forget about my worries and start to smile as well.

"Great. Jason, Leo, and I pulled this hilarious prank on our gym teacher. Speaking of Leo, is he home yet?"

"Yep, he came home about ten minutes before you."

"Where is he?"

"In the kitchen, working on something."

"Oh dear, let me check on him."

I walk into the kitchen and find Leo fiddling with the toaster. Usually Leo finds something to fix or improve instead of doing his homework because he has trouble concentrating with his ADHD.

"Hey, beauty queen," he says to me.

"Don't call me that, repair boy," I reply, grabbing some fruit from a bowl on the island. "Is the toaster broken?"

"Yeah, the toast doesn't pop up when it's done. Also, the toaster doesn't make the usual beeping sound when it's done."

"You know, Dad doesn't like you fixing stuff especially after the exploding oven incident."

"Whatever you say, little sister," he smirks at me and continues working on it. I shrug, leaving the kitchen to find Lacey if he succeeds in making it explode.

Leo and I aren't really brother and sister. His dad, Hephaestus, and my mom were married, but his parents divorced and his dad ended up remarrying. During elementary school, while my mom and dad were still married, Leo showed up at our mansion, claiming that he was the son of Hephaestus and his new wife. Both of his parents died in a fire and he had nowhere else to go. My mom wanted nothing to do with him, but my dad convinced her into taking him in. When my parents split up in middle school, my dad took custody of Lacey, Leo, and I.

I find Lacey in her room at her desk, drawing something. I plop down on her pink queen-sized bed.

"So how was your day, Lacey?" I ask.

"It was fine. In art, we were allowed to draw whatever we wanted. I drew a pegasus," she says shyly. I get up and I look over her shoulder at what she is drawing.

"Is this what you worked on?"

"Yep. You can look at it if you want," she says, handing it to me.

I gasp at the amazing artwork. "Wow, Lacey, this is beautiful."

Lacey drew a precise drawing of a grey pegasus with white wings. There is so much detail that it almost looks real.

"Thanks," Lacey says shyly as I give the drawing back.

"I'll let you keep working on it. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Once I leave Lacey's room, I head straight to the bathroom. After my bathroom break, I sit in my room as my worries resurface. I haven't had my period for almost a week. I would usually assume that I'm late, but there's also the fact that Jason and I had sex last month while my dad was away at a photo shoot.

A knock on my door interrupts my thoughts. I tell the person to come in and it's Leo who walks in.

"No, I don't have any spare parts-"

"No, I wasn't going to ask about that," Leo cuts me off. "Are you still going to Drew's party tonight with Jason?"

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me," I exclaim, rushing to my closet. Although it's a huge walk-in, it's barely filled in and there's only simply sweaters, cardigans, T-shirts, sneakers, boots and jeans. "Actually, Jason and I agreed to meet up at Drew's so I'll need a ride."

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that you have a party?" Lacey asks, popping into my room and looking at my closet with a frown on her face. "You know how badly you need my fashion advice."

"Why? It's just a party at Drew's."

"Drew? As in Drew Tanaka?" Lacey exclaims, her mouth dropping so low that I almost told her that she's going to catch flies like that. "My classmate Mitchell is her neighbor and he says that Drew is known to have the best parties in the neighborhood. So your usual outfits are totally unsuitable for a party like that."

"Ugh, I don't want to go anymore. And why do you want to go to Drew's party anyway?" I ask Leo since he and Drew aren't exactly close buddies ever since he replaced her lip gloss with gasoline and her mascara with oil.

"She asked me if I could get her some fireworks. I don't owe her any favors, but she was willing to pay me," he shrugs. "I might as well go and see what the big fuss is about."

"We definitely need to go shopping. Wait for me while I grab my purse," Lacey says, leaving my room. Normally, I'd groan and protest since I hate shopping but I really needed a completely new outfit. This is Drew Tanaka's party and I want to look presentable if not my best.

Leo drove us to the mall and just stayed in the food court. After what felt like hours of shopping, Lacey settles on a simple yet pretty turquoise dress, black leggings and a new snowboarding jacket so I don't freeze to death. My shoes are black leather boots because I can't and won't walk in heels. For accessories, I stick with only my favorite silver charm bracelet. At home, she curls only the ends of my hair. For make-up, I insisted that she doesn't overdo it so she applies a little lip gloss and mascara.

After Lacey finishes fixing my hair and make-up, we walk downstairs to Leo's workshop. He turns around to face us, carrying a box in his hands. When he takes a good look at me, his mouth drops and so does the box. I laugh nervously and I kneel to help him pick up the fireworks.

"It's that bad huh?" I ask, dropping fireworks into the box. He chuckles.

"If by bad you mean completely hot then yes it's that bad," he smirks.

"Ew, you did not just call me hot," I smack him playfully. "We're practically brother and sister. That's incest."

"Hey, when I called you hot, that was meant to be a compliment. It's not like I was trying to hit on you."

"Well then thank you. You clean up nicely too, Valdez."

Now that I take a good look at Leo, there is no longer any trace of oil or grease on his face or hands. His curly hair is also slightly wet so he must have taken a shower while waiting for me.

"Although, as your brother, I have to warn you that there will be lots of guys that will be hitting on you. I don't think Jason will be happy about that."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go, repair boy," I say, packing the last of the fireworks into the box.

"Me going to a party. Beauty queen dressing up. This will be one hell of a party."

* * *

Before we head over to Drew's place, we drop Lacey off at her friend Mitchell's house which was conveniently right next to Drew's house. There are already a lot of cars parked near her house so we have to park somewhere far away. I'm thankful that I insisted on wearing boots instead of heels because we parked about a block away and the weather is starting to get a little windy and cold. Music is blasting throughout the neighborhood despite how far we are. Leo and I exchange a look and we shrug as if to say "It's just a party. What can go wrong?" We start walking down the block.

Once we walk through the door, we're already ambushed by drunk teenagers. A classmate of mine, Clovis, draped an arm around and starts talking to me then decides to take a nap on my shoulder. Surprisingly, he's not drunk; this is something he does often. I shove him off, trying to hide my disgust as he plops to the floor and continues napping. It's not even ten and people are already wasted. I sigh and continue walking, looking for Jason. The place is decorated like mine with a few ribbons and wreaths and a white artificial tree in one corner. I bump into more wasted people and I hear whistles coming from guys I don't even know, but I see no sign of Jason.

"Do you see him?" Leo ask behind me as we walk on to the dance floor. He's trying to get through the crowd while keeping a grip on the box. I keep craning my head, but there is no sign of familiar blond hair. I shake my head and turn around to bump into someone, almost spilling her cup of beer. I'm about to apologize until I look at who I bump into. I scowl and so does she.

"Ugh, watch it, dumpster queen," Drew sneers.

Drew is wearing a red tiered silk jeweled neck dress with black leggings and gold high heels. Gold teardrop earrings dangle from her ears and gold bangles jingle on one hand. I start to feel under-dressed. Her bright red lips curl in a sneer as she looks me up and down.

"I must say, you make a nice effort, hon. Yet no matter what you wear, you always seem to dress in dumpster clothes," she smiles sweetly but her eyes are cold and steely. She'd probably kick me out if she didn't invite Jason. I smile sweetly at her. I'm not going to let her get the best of me.**  
**

"Why, thank you, Drew. And I love your outfit too. I think my mom designed something like that, oh, sometime last season." Her smile drops and she steps in closer, towering over me. I hold my head high and look right back at her. Drew doesn't scare me.

"You are so lucky you have your precious Jason, otherwise you wouldn't even be here. But remember that he won't be yours forever. And trust me, hon, the minute Jason dumps your sorry ass, he'll come crawling to me and I'll do whatever it takes to make your life a living hell. Now run along, run along to your bf while you still can, cousin," she snarls out the last word before giving me a fake smile and stalks off, pulling Leo and muttering something about the fireworks. Leo shoots me an apologetic look before he's dragged off by the she-devil.

Yes, Drew Tanaka, the biggest bitch in Jupiter High, is my cousin. Sue me.

I sigh and turn around to be greeted by Jason. I sigh in relief and hug him. He chuckles and returns the hug. He seems a little tense, but I ignore it. I'm feeling a little nervous myself and it's not just because of what Drew just said.

"I'm glad you made it and you look great," he compliments me, giving me a small smile. "You're making me feel under-dressed."

"No, you look fine," I assure him and he did. He's wearing a simple purple T-shirt, dark jeans and track shoes. His hair is also newly trimmed. His eyes are the same blue as the strobe lights above us.

"Hey, can we find a place to talk? Just the two of us? It's a little loud in here."

"Sure."

I let him lead me through the crowds of people. I start thinking about what Drew said. _He won't be yours forever. __Run along to your bf while you still can._ I try to shake off any thoughts of her. Maybe he just wants to talk. Or maybe he wants to make-out. It wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe he wants to give me my Christmas present.

We step out through the backdoor into the backyard. It's huge, big enough to hold a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi on one side and a garden with a gazebo on the other. We head over to the gazebo. We sit down and it's a beautiful view of the flowers and the night sky. I lean my head on his shoulder and he slowly puts his arm around me. He still feels a little tense so I look up at him, but he isn't even facing me.

"Jason, is anything wrong?" I ask. He bites his lip nervously and looks down at me. Now I know there is definitely something wrong. I sit up.

"Tell me. Tell me what's wrong."

'It's- It's nothing, Piper. Just forget about it," he says and tries to grab my hand but I pull it away.

"No, I won't just forget about it. So you might as well tell me what's going on."

He sighs and runs a hand through his light blond hair. I bite my lip nervously. This is it. He's really going to break up with me. After all this time together, he's going to break up with me.

But maybe he won't if I tell him that I might be pregnant.

"I'll tell you something too if you tell me what's wrong first," I blurt out before I lost the courage to confess to him. He raised an eyebrow and sighs again.

"Okay, so do you remember when I told you that my mom got an interview for a job?"

I nodded.

"Well, she got the job."

"But that's great, Jason. So why do you look so nervous?"

"Because," he takes in a deep breath. "It means that we have to move back to New York."

Oh no. This is even worse. Not only will he have to break up with me, he'll have to move across the country! Damn it. I really hoped that if I was pregnant, Jason would be with me every step of the way. Now that can't possibly happen. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I look away from him while I force them to go away.

"Pipes, you okay?"

"I'm fine," I choke out, taking in a deep breath and forcing on a small smile. "So when are you leaving?"

"I'm not sure. Soon though. Maybe in a few days."

My heart sinks. I was hoping that he wouldn't leave for weeks, months but no. He's leaving in a few days.

"Oh."

"I'm really sorry," he says and he does sound truly sorry. I look at him for what might be the last time, taking in every detail from the blue of his eyes, his blond hair to the small details like the scar on the corner of his lip. "Now, um, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh." Crap I can't tell him now. He'll feel even more guilty than he does now. Think, Piper, think. "Um, my mom is getting married."

"Again?"

"Yeah again and I was going to ask you to come with me but..."

"Oh. Right."

We sit in an awkward silence, only our shoulders touching. We were never uncomfortable around each other except before we were dating.

"So, I guess this means we need to go our separate ways," I say more to myself than to him. He nods.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine." It's not. I give him a smile and look away. "I'm just, ah, going to look for Leo then."

"Yeah okay. I'll um tell the others about, you know."

"Okay." I stand up and so does he. He pulls me into one last hug and I fight the urge to pull him back when he pulls away. He kisses the top of my forehead and that was almost enough for me to break down. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying.

"Merry Christmas, Piper."

"Merry Christmas," I mumble meekly.

* * *

**Wow that was a long chapter. Hope you liked it or not.. Anyways there will be two more chapter with Jason in Los Angeles and by chapter 6 he should be in New York. Now reviews make me really happy so click that review button below. Constructive critiscism is welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow 18 reviews and I'm only on the 3rd chapter. Thanks so much for the support, guys. Anyway, here's another long chapter in Piper's POV. Oh and if anyone knows/is a willing beta reader feel free to PM me! I'd be awesome if the beta reader read both the HOO series and the Perfect Chemistry series.**

**Disclaimer: Riordan owns the characters while Elkeles owns the plot, or most of it. The song isn't mine; it's Big Bang's.**

* * *

**Piper**

Now what can I do at a party since I just broke up with my boyfriend who is now moving across the country? I make no attempt to grab a beer because I'd really rather not get drunk and get a painful hangover just because of a breakup. I didn't stop to talk to anyone since I don't even know most of these people and those who are trying to get my attention are probably acting this way only because of the way I look. I guess all it takes is a new dress, new hair, some makeup and suddenly everyone acts likes your best friend. The attention makes me so uncomfortable that I can't wait to find Leo and ask him if we could leave now.

Somehow, I find myself on the dance floor and got myself pulled in by the crowd. Too tired to resist, I just start dancing. A random K-pop song is playing and I dance along to catchy beat even though I have no clue what they're saying. I only know from the intro that the band is Big Bang and I'm assuming that the title is "Tonight" because that's all they're saying during the chorus.

"Hey, baby, you look stunning tonight," a creepy masculine voice whispers into my ear. "Why don't you come with me and I'll give you the time of your life."

I turn around, about to tell him that I wouldn't even ask him for the time of day when I see a familiar face with curly black hair, pointed ears and the smile of a troublemaker.

"Ew, Leo, you're such a creep," I smack him hard on his arm and he winces and rub his arm, but the smirk on his face tells me that he's only pretending. "And seriously? 'The time of my life'? Who the heck says that anymore?"

"Shut up, beauty queen, I was just kidding. Why are you out here anyway? Why aren't you making out with Jason in a corner or something?"

I almost completely forgot about the breakup until now. The moment resurfaced in my mind like a slap in the face. My throat tightens up at Jason being mentioned.

"You mean you haven't heard?" I somehow manage to say. He shakes his head. "Jason's moving."

"Noo, our saving Grace is leaving? What's Jupiter High going to do without their star basketball player? We're doomed!" Leo drops a hand dramatically on his forehead and pretends to faint. I don't even bother to try catching him when he falls to the ground.

"God, Leo, I wonder why I put up with you," I try to tease him, but my heart isn't in it. He must have sensed my half-hearted tone because he frowns, looking completely serious.

"But really? Where's he going?"

Back home, away from us. Away from me. Abandoning me. "Back to New York."

"And you two aren't..."

I sigh and shake my head. "Long distance never works out anyway."

"That's true, but don't worry about it. It's not like your life is going to fall apart completely if a piece is missing."

I nod in agreement and try to just focus on dancing. A pretty girl goes up to Leo and his eyes perk up. He's such a sucker when it comes to girls especially ones that are pretty and out of his league. She whispers in his ear and leaves just as quickly as she came. The fire in his eyes dies out in disappointment.

"Drew wants me to check up on the fireworks with some other guys," he explains. Oh, so she wasn't trying to hit on him.

"You didn't even try to get her number?"

"Shut up, Mclean," he says but he smiles at me apologetically anyway. "You'll survive without me, right?"

I nod and try to give him an encouraging smile but honestly, I'm not too sure. This party is bound to be filled with horny, drunk boys that will try to get in my pants. Jason must have already told people that he's moving. Now that I'm single, Jason can't protect me and now neither can Leo. Fine, I'll just have to fend for myself if I have to like I always do.

Having nothing better to do, I wander around the house while avoiding almost every guy that comes in my direction especially drunk ones. I grab a bottle of sparkling water and I drink it casually as I step over schoolmates passed out on the floor. Drew has so many rooms in her house and it's only the first floor. It's not much compared to my house, but I'm still a little impressed. Then again, Aunt Venus expects nothing but the best and as they say "the bigger, the better!"

Most of the rooms are closed and I make no attempt into checking if they're locked or not. One of the few empty rooms appears to be the drawing room. From a distance, all I can see is a couch, some flowers, and satin curtains. My curiosity gets the better of me and I enter the room to look around, thinking that it's empty.

Boy was I wrong. On a couch against the wall is Drew and Jason making out. One of his hands is in her hair and the other is on her back, pressing her closer to him. I was tempted to storm across the room, pry Drew away from Jason and slap her senseless, but then I remember that Jason and I are no longer dating. Instead, I scowl and walk away, but it does hurt seeing them together, knowing that we just broke up a few minutes, maybe an hour, ago and he already hooked up with someone. While some part of me felt disgusted at the fact that he hooked up with my obnoxious cousin, I felt my stomach knotting in pain either from my discovery or my possible baby. I hope it's the former.

I don't know how long I was wandering around, but eventually I bump into Leo again. He gives me a lopsided grin, but it quickly fades when he sees the distraught expression on my face.

"What happened? Are you not feeling well?"

I don't even want to bother him with the details so I say three simple words. "Jason. Drew. Kissing."

He frowns. "Wow, he's either drunk or she forced herself on him because no one in their right mind would kiss Drew willingly."

The image of Jason pressing Drew against him pops in my mind and I feel my throat drying up. "It sure didn't look like he minded kissing her."

"Aw, Piper, don't worry about it. The fireworks are coming on soon and you should enjoy them. You need to forget about Jason since what you just saw only proves that he's a douche that doesn't deserve you."

"But you're his best friend."

"But you're my sister." He grins at me. I smile back at him even though I felt like I was going to cry at any moment. "Besides, you've got nothing to hold him back. It's not like you're pregnant or something."

My smile immediately drops and my throat starts closing up. Leo sees my blanched face and widens his face.

"Wait. You're not...right?" He squeaks out the last word and I'm too scared to talk so I just nod. His face also starts to pale.

"Oh my god. Don't tell me it was during Tristan's photo shoot?"

"Well..."

"You know when I told you guys to get kinky before I left I didn't mean it literally."

"Leo, shh!" My face turns red and I quickly scan the area to see if anyone is watching us. No one is giving us any weird stares so I turn back to face him. "You shouldn't say it so loudly. Someone might hear us."

"Fine, fine. But do you know if you are?"

"I was only thinking about it..."

"We need to leave," he says. I don't argue because leaving is what I wanted to do in the first place.

As we're walking through the crowd, I'm bumping into a lot of people. I only hope that I don't bump into-

"Crap, I'm sorry."

"Oh, hey, Piper."

Jason. God I have the worst luck.

"Are you okay?" he asks. I scoff at him. That must be the dumbest question he could ever ask me after he broke up with me and made out with my worst enemy!

"Why do you care? And why aren't you with Drew since the last time I saw you, you were busy sucking her face?"

He gave me a bewildered look. "You saw that?"

"Oh, don't ask so surprised. I bet I'm not the only one."

"Look, Piper, it's not what it looks like-"

"Save it," I cut him off. Some might say I'm overdoing it but I really don't care. I thought he was different from everyone, but he only proved me wrong. "Just forget this conversation. in fact, forget this whole night ever happened."

I stalk off without turning back when he calls my name. I head straight to the car despite Leo's protests. We pick up Lacey and drive away. While Leo tells Lacey about everything, I stay quiet.

Leo stops by a pharmacy store even though I complain to him and tell him to just go straight home. Unfortunately, both Leo and Lacey agree that I should at least find out if I'm truly pregnant or not. Lacey comes with me while Leo stays in the car since it'd be awkward to buy a pregnancy test with Leo around. People might assume he's the father.

Once we're done and we get home, Lacey practically shoves me into the bathroom and takes the pregnancy test out, reading me the instructions. I pray that I'm not really pregnant. I'll have to stay hidden to avoid paparazzi. I really don't want to see the next headline in magazines as "Tristan Mclean's Teenage Daughter Pregnant!". It wouldn't be as horrible if only Jason were with me, but since he's not, I don't know if I can handle it if I'm pregnant.

I think the reason I told Jason to forget about it is because that's exactly what I want to do. But I know that I'll never be able to forget it at all. I won't ever forget how Jason let me down when I needed him the most.

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**Please, please review! They always make my day :) Also check out my fictionpress account and my story there. Please?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry guys for the long wait. School started and I haven't gotten the computer to myself in a while. I'll try my best to keep updating despite the massive amount of schoolwork that will probably come up. And I'm still looking for a beta reader. Anyway here's the next chapter.**

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**Jason**

When we left New York, the one good thing about it was that I didn't have to deal with goodbyes. I was close to some people there like Dakota, Gwen, Frank, Hazel, and Reyna. I was always in the same elementary and middle school with them even though I was constantly transferred from one foster family to another. Reyna was my best friend and Hazel was like a little sister to me. Although I miss them a lot, I was sort of glad that I didn't have time to say goodbye when we left so abruptly; I wasn't sure if I could keep my cool and collected attitude up.

Leaving Jupiter High is completely different. I did manage to make some friends, but I didn't develop strong friendships like the ones I had back in Manhattan. Piper and Leo are the only exceptions.

My heart feels a little heavy when I think about Piper. She's the only person I didn't want to leave behind. Yeah, I'll miss Leo despite his corny jokes, but I feel like Piper is the only one who really understood me. Drew is always such a chatterbox that the school knows that her mom is the famous model/fashion designer so girls always act nice to her in hopes that she can give them some clothes from her mom's fashion line. Guys always hang around me only because they're either on the basketball team or they want some of my popularity. Both of is feel uncomfortable under the spotlight because what we're famous for isn't based on who we are.

After Piper leaves, I walk around looking for some of my friends. I tell them that I'm moving back to New York and they groan and complain about losing their star basketball player. I restrain myself from rolling my eyes every time I hear that. Some guys think that it'd be a great idea to party and get wasted before I leave. I try to protest since I don't want to end up drunk if I take the bus home, but my friends shove a cup of punch in my hand anyway. Once I finish one cup, they instantly hand me another. Someone must have already spiked the drinks because it tastes too strong to be just punch.

By the time I pull myself away from my friends, the world is spinning. I don't know if it's the punch or if I'm stumbling. Probably both. I bump into a girl and I expect a scowl, but she steadies me instead. I look up and see dark hair. Hey, maybe it's Piper!

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Hey listen," I say, swaying a little so I wrap my arm around her shoulders to steady myself. "I'm really sorry that we had to break up. It totally sucks that I'm moving."

She stays quiet for some time and at first, I think she's really mad at me. But she does respond.

"Well, I can't stop you from leaving. I'm really going to miss you though," she coos, leaning into me, close enough that I can smell nutmeg on her. I look into her eyes and they look dark. Usually her eyes are green or blue. I didn't know her eyes could also be a dark brown. She's still beautiful to me.

"I love you, Piper. I love you soo much. If I had a choice, I'd never leave you."

She shifts uncomfortably next to me. Is she nervous? Why? Doesn't she know I love her?

"Well, since you're leaving, let me give you something to remember me by," she says and before I could process what was going on, she pulls me in and kisses me firmly on the lips.

I find myself kissing her back. Her lips taste like cinnamon and she smells faintly of pine and nutmeg which reminds me of Christmas. Funny since it is Christmas and Piper doesn't usually smell like Christmas. She smells like cherries. The world's spinning even more and hold on to Piper to steady me. She took that as encouragement and starts sliding her tongue across my lips. I hear music and someone walks in and scowl in disgust as they stalk away. I almost scowl myself; I'm making out with my girlfriend here! I'm getting dizzy so I just keep holding on. I touch her hair and I feel curls instead of straight hair. That's when I come to my senses. Piper's hair is straight. She doesn't smell like nutmeg. Her eyes are different colors not dark brown. I'm not kissing Piper; I'm kissing Drew! I quickly pull away.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Aw, sweetie, don't act like you didn't like it," she purrs, placing a manicured hand on my chest. She frowns when I shove it away.

"If this is about the Dumpster queen, what's the point? You broke up anyway."

I wince at her reminder, but I still scowl at her. "I'm already leaving in a few days! Plus she's your cousin! God, you're disgusting."

I get up and leave. Thankfully, she doesn't follow. I grab a cup and start chugging despite the beer's bitter taste I wasn't used to. I wander around, drinking one cup after another and I stumble a little, trying to hold on to the wall to prevent myself from falling. I'm about to keep on going until I hear my name.

"-need to forget about Jason since what you just saw only proves that he's a douche that doesn't deserve you."

That sounds like Leo. Ouch. That really hurts coming from my best friend.

"But you're his best friend." That sounds like Piper. My heart aches a little at hearing her soft voice.

"But you're my sister." I guess Leo's always going to pick Piper over me. After all he is her brother, half or not. "Besides, you've got nothing to hold him back. It's not like you're pregnant or something."

I feel my cheeks burning up either from the beer or from memories of what Piper and I did a month ago. Piper stays quiet. Why isn't she responding? No... it can't be.

"Wait. You're not...right?" She remains quiet. Oh my god. She is pregnant? No wonder she seemed really hurt when we broke up.

"Oh my god. Don't tell me it was during Tristan's photo shoot?" Leo asks.

"Well..." she trails off, not really giving an answer.

"You know when I told you guys to get kinky before I left I didn't mean it literally." Despite the really scary revelation, I laugh quietly, hoping that I don't give myself away.

"Leo, shh!" I can imagine Piper slamming her hand over his mouth. "You shouldn't say it so loudly. Someone might hear us."

I take that as my cue to walk away. Crap, crap. I tried so hard to be careful that night. Now I really hate myself. If only she told me sooner, I would've stayed. Maybe she wasn't entirely sure.

I bump into someone yet again and a little beer spills on the carpet.

"Crap, I'm sorry."

Crap her voice is familiar.

I swallow nervously. "Oh hey, Piper."

Her eyes are watery but she sets her jaw and her hands curl into fists. Obviously she looks angry but I have no idea why.

"Are you okay?" I ask and she scoffs at me. She stares at me coldly, her eyes more blue than green or brown.

"Why do you care? And why aren't you with Drew since the last time I saw you, you were busy sucking her face?"

What? How could she see that? We were alone last I checked. Then I remember hearing someone scowl. Crap. "You saw that?"

"Oh, don't ask so surprised. I bet I'm not the only one."

I've never seen Piper so mad. I have teased her a couple of times, but we do the usual couple move and kiss and make up. My heart feels heavy knowing that I can't do that anymore.

"Look, Piper, it's not what it looks like-"

"Save it,"she cuts me off. "Just forget this conversation. In fact, forget this whole night ever happened."

"Piper," I try to call out to her, but she doesn't even stick around to listen to me. I don't bother running after her because what we both know that what I did was wrong. I curse myself for doing something so stupid that resulted in hurting someone I care about.

Just forget this whole night ever happened.

Fine. Maybe I'll just find some other girl, someone to take my mind away from Piper. I walk around, drink beer now and then, and the room was starting to spin when I bump into Drew again.

"Changed your mind?"

"I-"

She doesn't even let me finish before she starts pulling me into a corner and starts making out with me. This time, I don't resist at any point. Piper's hurt voice just rings through my head. Just forget this night happened. Just forget.

* * *

I wake up the next morning with a massive headache. I groan and try to sit up, rubbing my temples. I don't really remember much of last night. I only remember telling people about the move and breaking up with Piper. I take a moment to take in my surroundings and then I realize that I'm in a bed. Crap, I hope I didn't "get it on" with someone else last night. Then I realize that I'm fully clothed. Oh well, could have been worse. At least I didn't wake up next to a random girl or worse, Drew. I was looking out of the window at Olympic Boulevard when someone walks into the room. I turn and see that it's Clovis from my History Class holding a glass of water and some aspirin.

"Hey, do you know what happened to me last night?" I ask, taking the aspirin and water. He raises an eyebrow.

"You seriously don't remember anything?"

"Nope. I've got no idea how I got here."

"When you passed out, there were too many people out cold on the floor so Drew made me drag you upstairs here."

"She didn't, um, do anything to me, right?" I ask sheepishly. He laughs.

"I asked her the same thing and she said 'there's no fun in fucking someone who's passed out because then they'll never know what they're missing out' and she just left me to drag your wasted ass up here. After that I got tired so I curled up on the floor and slept.

"You got wasted here too?" I ask, handing him the glass of water once I'm done.

"Nah, I just passed out here. Felt extremely tired," he replies, yawning in mid-sentence. Come to think of it, he's usually the only student who is out cold in History. He must feel sleepy most of the time.

"Well thanks for the aspirin. It helps."

"No prob. Oh and Drew said once you're up, I'll have to drive you home since she's busy finishing up cleaning the house. She already called your mom last night and told her you'd be home in the morning."

"Alright thanks."

I wash up and change into some clothes Clovis leant me. I meet him downstairs. I look around and the place seems empty except for some trash and a couple of passed out schoolmates.

"So why isn't Drew taking me instead? I thought she'd love to spend as much time with my beautiful self as long as possible."

"Well, she said she's busy with cleaning, but she probably has some shopping to do," he shrugs then gestures me to follow him. "Come on, my car is just outside."

I follow him and we get inside his car. As I'm buckling my seatbelt, I remember hearing a rumor that Clovis sometimes falls asleep while driving on his way to school.

"You're not tired right?"

He laughs. "Don't worry I won't fall asleep as I'm driving. I drank enough coffee to keep me awake..I think."

That didn't exactly assure me. Halfway to my place, he was driving fine. Then he starts yawning. I start to get a little nervous because his head starts drooping and he has a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"Hey, Clovis. Clovis, stay awake," I say, shaking his shoulder lightly. Instead, his eyes close and his head falls on the wheel. The wheel starts spinning to the left, right in the middle of the lane with cars driving in the opposite direction. I swear colorfully and shove Clovis to the side and quickly swerve to the side onto the right side.

I breathe out a relieved sigh and try to drive without getting hit. I got my license but I didn't bother getting a car since I had no idea how long I'd stay in L.A. By the time Clovis wakes up, I'm almost at my place.

"Vashappenin?"

"Shut up. I'm already home. You can go back to sleep."

He sits up and sighs, placing his head in his hands. "I'm sorry. I really that I could stay awake long enough."

I pat his back sympathetically. "It's fine. Thanks anyway."

"Alright take care. Good luck on your trip back home."

"Thanks."

"Oh and Jason," he calls out to me. "I hope you don't forget anything important."

I frown but he drives away before I could ask him what he means. Now I wonder if I've forgotten anything important. I remember breaking up with Piper and it hurt like hell. I know I didn't do anything with anyone last night. But what else was there to remember?

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**Don't forget to review! And thanks everyone for all of your support :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! *ducks to avoid books thrown at her* Ohmygods I am so so sorry guys! I really wish I updated faster but then school started :( I promised myself I'd update faster with this story but sadly I'm a bad promise keeper. But I promise I will TRY to update sooner than this. Please forgive me for the crappy chapter!**

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**Jason**

Two days later

Once my Christmas hangover was over, Sally bought tickets for the next plane heading to New York. We already boarded the plan and we're flying across the country. Sally is napping next to me and I'm looking out my window at the sky and the clouds below us. The sun is beginning to set even though it was about three when we left Los Angeles. The sky is streaked with orange, pink, and yellow. The clouds are so close that it feels like I could touch them.

Percy hates being up in the sky because he's afraid of being shot out of it by lightning or something. For me, I love being up here because it's the closest I can get to flying. I've always been fascinated by the clouds and the sky. It's so vast but its size makes me want to explore it all. That's why I want to study weather and become a meteorologist.

Eventually I take a nap once the sky darkens and my brain tells me to sleep. Sally wakes me up when the stewardesses are serving breakfast. We spend the remaining five hours on napping, talking, and eating. I ask her if she got in touch with anyone we knew in New York other than Percy, Nico, and Annabeth. She claims that she got in touch with the orphanage and informs me that Reyna is still in the orphanage, but both Hazel and Frank were adopted by their own long-lost dads.

When we get off the airplane and leave the airport, we hail a taxi to our old apartment building in the Lower East Side. Percy has been sending us some money over the years and Sally saved up enough to buy a better apartment. It's still small, but the area is much nicer than our old place even if we're still on the same floor.

We head up the elevator to the tenth floor and exit out walking down the hall to apartment 10H. Sally's struggling to find the key while holding a suitcase in each hand. I'd try to help her but it'll be difficult with my hands full of our luggage. A door opens down the hall and a man about my mom's age walks out the door and locks it. He walks down the hall towards us and finally notices us.

"Need some help?" he asks, smiling at us with perfect pearly-white teeth. Sally just smiles and shakes her head.

"No we'll be fine," she says,finding the key and placing it in the keyhole.

The man runs a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "I'm Paul Blofis and I'm right down the hall if you need anything-"

I clear my throat mostly because I had to avoid snickering at his last name. Percy would love this guy.

"Well, Mr. Blofis, it's been a pleasure meeting you. I'd shake your hand if my hands weren't full" I say sheepishly, holding up the suitcases.

"It was nice meeting you both," he says and he walks to the elevator. Sally opens the door just after he left, entering a little too quickly probably to hide the blush I know that's forming on her face.

I definitely did not want to talk about our new neighbor so once I help her with the luggage I tell her that I'm going to head to Central Park to see if any of my old friends still hang out there. I guess she didn't want to talk about him either because she sent me out without a second thought. Anyways, I walk a couple more blocks before I enter the south side of Central Park. I head to the zoo because I remember Frank loves to visit the animals and sometimes Hazel would go with him. Reyna and I would sometimes tag along, but we preferred walking around the park.

I enter the zoo and I walk around trying to find any familiar faces. It's cold out, but it's the middle of winter break so there are a couple of kids with their parents, pointing and staring at the animals in wonder. I approach the elephant exhibit and I see a tall, bulky guy standing near the edge next to two girls, one with dark curly hair and the other with dark straight hair braided down her back. Their backs are to me and the girl with curly hair stands close to the guy while the other girl stands a little to the side. I watch as an elephant walks towards him and the guy holds his hand open to let the elephant eat the peanuts in his palm. The girl next to him laughs.

"It seems that you and Hannibal get along really well, Frank," she says.

"Frank?" I say out loud. The guy turns around and sure enough it's Frank Zhang. He stares at me probably wondering who the heck am I, but the girl turns around and instantly recognizes me. Right before she tackles me into a hug, I recognize her golden eyes.

"Jason!" she exclaims as she squeezes me tightly. I chuckle at her excitement but I did miss her a lot so I return the hug.

"It's good to see you too, Hazel."

I look over her shoulder to see Frank chuckling, shaking his head. "Never thought you'd come back."

"Yes I think we all expected Jason to never return," the other girl speaks up. As she approaches us, I recognize the cold, obsidian eyes, the straight posture of a leader. Four years had passed yet she still looks like a proud warrior queen.

"Reyna," I say her name. She makes no move to hug me; in fact her body language is anything but welcoming.

"You're back" is all she says. Cue the awkward moment.

"Um yeah I am" is all I say, suddenly finding a sudden interest in my sneakers.

"So what happened to you four years ago?" she says rather harshly. I flinch a little at her tone. Being around Reyna always made me feel like a preschooler getting lectured by his teacher for doing something wrong. I'm taller than her by a few inches but her cold stare makes me feel so small. "Did you think we can just continue on as friends when you left us without explanations and you never talked to us again?"

"Reyna, don't be so harsh," Frank says quietly.

"I'm sure Jason will explain," Hazel adds.

I look back at my friends and they give me small encouraging smiles. They comforted for a while but I knew that if Reyna decides to never speak to me again, they'll have no choice but to follow. Reyna observes me.

"I will hear what you have to say," Reyna finally says. I exhale but she gives me a wary look. "But I get to decide whether to welcome you back or not."

So I tell them all about Percy's problem with the Half-Bloods and the mess he got himself in. I told them we had to leave New York immediately and they wouldn't let me say goodbye. I couldn't even contact them because Sally was afraid that the Half-Bloods were still trying to track us down. Reyna listens quietly and she speaks the moment I finish talking.

"I guess it's not your fault that your brother got you involved in his mistake and I can't blame you for not contacting us. It's all in the past now. Welcome home, Jason," she says, giving me a small smile which is pretty much all that I will get from Reyna. "Come on, let's grab some food. Nothing can beat a good, old-fashioned NYC hot dog fresh from the cart."

Frank and Hazel immediately start telling me everything that happened while I was gone. The Half-Bloods disbanded thanks to Percy and Nico (long story) so there shouldn't be as much trouble especially in Goode High. Hazel tells me that both her dad and Frank's dad found them at the orphanage and adopted them. Reyna's still at the orphanage but her eighteenth birthday is coming up so she can leave soon and Hazel offered Reyna to stay at her place until she can settle down somewhere else. Frank tells all of us about his dad's wedding that's coming up in a few weeks.

"Apparently he's getting married to some rich model or designer. Can't remember which. But they've been dating for what seems like forever so he finally popped the question and he said yes."

"That's great, Frank. At least you won't be alone with your dad anymore," Hazel says, wrapping her arm around his. They don't have to tell me they're going out; it's pretty obviously from the way they look at each other and how they act around each other. I remember looking at Piper like that, as if she and I were the only two people in the world and I wouldn't have it any other way. My stomach clenches at the thought of Piper. I can't afford to miss her; I have to move on. From the corner of my eye, I see Reyna staring at me, but she turns away quickly. Huh weird.

"She has a couple of kids but I'm not sure if they're coming with her to live with us in New York," Frank continues.

"Oh, a new mom and some siblings. Sounds like a lot of change," Hazel says. Frank frowns but Hazel pats his arm. "Don't worry, Frank. I'm sure she's not going to be some evil stepmother and you'll get evil stepbrothers."

"Don't try to make me sound like Cinderella," he chuckles, his muscles relaxing. "Anyway, my dad said it's okay if I invite some of my own friends. Will you guys come?"

"Definitely," I grin. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides how bad can it be?"

* * *

"Can't. Get. This. Tie. To. Tie," Frank grunts helplessly as he fumbles with his tie. He may be tall and built like a man but I know he's a little vulnerable inside.

"Here, let me help," I say, tying his tie in a few seconds. He grins at me.

"Thanks. It's really great to have you back, Jason."

"It's good to be back," I admit.

The wedding is in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Yes, the bride and groom are wealthy enough to reserve their wedding here. Reyna and Hazel are already seated while Frank and I are dressing up. Frank is the best man and I'm just here for moral support until I join our friends. Frank is also in charge of his dad's wedding ring. We leave the dressing room and meet his dad, Mars.

"Congratulations, Mr. Zhang," I tell him, shaking his hand. "I hear your bride is very lovely."

"Yes indeed she is. I also hear that she has a very pretty daughter your age."

Frank laughs. "Then I guess Jason can take her, Dad. I've got my own girl."

"Right the Levesque girl. Well, Jason would be a lucky man."

"I don't even know the girl."

"Oh that can change tonight," Mars winks at me then turns to Frank. "Son, do you have my ring?"

"Yeah it's right here-" he reaches into his pocket only to find it empty. "Dang it. I must have left it in the dressing room."

"I'll get it."

"Thanks Jason. Make sure to give it to the ring bearer before you head inside," Frank calls out.

I walk quickly to the dressing room and look around. On a table, a gold ring glitters in the fading sunlight. I pick it up and examine it. The words _Amor verus valet pugna _are engraved on it. True love is worth fighting for. I hear the door open.

"Hey, have you seen the groom's ring? I'm the ring bearer and the wedding's about to start."

"Yeah it's right here-" I cut off when I turn around and see who it is. I recognize the curly hair, the Latino elfish features.

"Leo, what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he exclaimed. Then it all seemed to piece together.

"Aphrodite. She's getting married to Mars."

"How do you know the groom?"

"Wait. If you're here that means.."

"Leo, what are you doing?" a too familiar voice addresses Leo. I feel the blood draining from my face. Please don't let it be her. Please.

She steps into the room wearing a dress I've never knew she owned. It was a white floor-length gown that tied around her neck, leaving her shoulders bare. She wore golden cuff bracelets and sandals. Her chocolate brown hair is braided to the side and she's wearing lipgloss and eyeliner, making her kaleidoscope eyes stand out and her lips more full and red. Her gaze moves from Leo to me and her beautiful eyes widen in surprise. Her mouth hangs open and I somehow manage to speak again.

"Piper."

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**Bet you all saw that coming. No? Yes? Tell me what to think will happen next! (no Chain Reaction readers are allowed to give spoilers please and thank you). by the way who read Mark of Athena? and who cried their eyes out at the end? I know I did**

**-Ayesa**


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